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Anybody around 40-ish into NEW music?

J

jtroska

Jan 14, 2010
238
19
54
fort lee new jersey nj
#1
I keep getting offers to play in cover bands that are stuck in a time-line between Led Zeppelin and Alice In Chains. Nothing wrong with those bands. But it's 2013.

I feel like a snob for always turning bands down. But that music is tedious for me. I feel like my network of bands have been living in a cultural deprivation tank since around the 1990s. And I'm the oddity for knowing who Rob Thomas is.

Any musicians out there in the 40-ish age bracket that are into newer Pop music? Train, Adele, Pink, Fun., Neon Trees, Black Keys... Etc.?
 
#2
Not into the bands you mentioned necessarily, but I'm in my late 40's and still love to find new music. Although, oddly enough, all the new bands I'm digging are of the retro-70's hard rock sound, LOL.
 
#3
I play whatever people want to hear. I don't necessarily seek out new music, but know it is the lifeblood of every cover band to keep adding new songs. As a listener, I really like punk pop, ska, indie stuff and instrumental stuff more than what is on rock radio. I will be 50 this year. I also, of course still like what I grew up on. I do not hold my band hostage to my taste nor do they to theirs.
 
#4
I stick myself between Led and Alice because I'm not particularly fond of much of the new typical stuff one hears on mainstream pop/rock radio. Many of the bands I'm stuck with are still making music, so I don't mind.

My wife keeps me pretty exposed to new stuff and I keep an ear open, but it's not often that something [new] catches it. TB does help with that, however it's more common that when I find something "new" it's only new to me. I do have an open mind for it.
 
#6
I'm 40 and my tastes are very current. I was listening to Mumford and Sons before anyone else I knew were aware they existed and Alt-J is my current favorite new band. I think Annie from St. Vincent is a misunderstood genius guitarist.


I think the old stuff is great too, but I get tired of listening to the same old stuff. I like to hear something I've never heard before every once in a while and at 40+ those are rare moments.


The trick is, when you hear something weird that sucks, listen again. It may be not so much that it sucks but it's original and you just aren't used to it yet.
 
#8
42yo and Vintage Trouble, Galactic, Blackberry Smoke are the only new bands I can think of that I enjoy. There is the occasional single from other artists I dig, but I also enjoy going backwards in music and finding the gems I didn't know about from the 50's/60's/70's.
 
#9
jtroska said:
Any musicians out there in the 40-ish age bracket that are into newer Pop music? Train, Adele, Pink, Fun., Neon Trees, Black Keys... Etc.?
Click to expand...
Good luck.
While in my 40s, I was lucky. I had made friends with some musicians in their 30s & 20s..."schooled" guys into cool stuff (IMO)...guys that would do jazzy/funked-up/instrumental versions of cool '60s/'70s covers (IMO) + originals.
Maybe consider the type of musicians you want to play with vs. the type of music?
 
#10
I guess guys and bands that are making a resurgence don't count? I'm kinda digging Slash - probably 'cause there ain't much like that out any more - at least done halfway well.

I agree with OP, I'm an old fogey and I find it difficult to get into the stuff on the radio - except when I'm looking for a good laugh. I'll find a song or two by a band I like but nothing to write home about.

The biggest gripe I have with today's music is the PRODUCTION!! Everything sounds the same. The loudness war has been won by the wrong team. There's more computer-generated noise on recordings than instruments and people.

Boo hoo.



^Seriously, WTH?? What are we really listening to these days?
 
#11
As I read your replies, I'm reconsidering my position. I guess I don't necessarily have to play Top 40 new music, I just want to play fresh music. It's just that in my area, the radio stations mostly play top 40 or old classic rock. And I'm bored of old classic rock so I go to top 40 by default. I even enjoyed playing Donna Summers because I hadn't played that before. But please no more Man In. A Box or Sweet Child O Mine.
 
#12
I'm in a similar situation, but I think for me it's based on location (eastern Long Island) as well. I'm 37, and out here on the island, I feel stuck between teens/20-somethings who like punk or metal and 40-50 year olds who do blues or classic rock covers. I myself would like to do an originals band that does mix of shoegaze/dreampop/psychedelia, but good luck with that, right?

I feel like I can actually hear all of you guys saying, "What the heck is shoegaze?", so I know it's always going to be an uphill battle to find people who are on the same wavelength as me!
 
#14
41 here and yes its so hard to find people my age who want to play newer music. My roots are in the grunge era but i like all kinds of music.
Problem is the younger folks are playing what i want to play but i get the too old syndrome.
 
#15
I recently turned 50. I'm not or never was into mainstream "Pop" music, however, there are exceptions if its good and has soul. I've always been into new music and still am. Newer bands I like are Tombone Shorty and JJ Grey. I wasn't into the White Stripe but I dig on solo Jack White. The Black Keys are ok.
 
#16
adele, fun, mumford & sons, bruno mars.

all really talented folks who deserve all their success!

It's tough for us in the cover band I play in to get our guitar player to tone down the distortion so we don't play any of this stuff. I'm only a part time member at this point so I don't care to start any fights about it.

My most recent "new favorite" band is Keane which I got into a couple years ago.
 
#17
40 here, and I'm certainly into new music, but not much in the way of commercial music. I'm always excited for a new release by Bill Frisell or Los Lobos or any number of other artists. I haven't been in a band that really reflected my own taste in music since I was in high school and was playing hardcore. I enjoy country and alt country, and that's the type of (originals) band I'm in, but it's not what I listen to most. These days I'm in some sort of Bermuda Triangle between roots music, jazz, and soundtrack/instrumental music.

The only way to do what I'm really interested in is to write it myself and I have no illusions about ever performing it live. That said I view it like people who paint or sketch as a hobby without ever exhibiting. It's just for my own enjoyment and I get my performance kicks with the band.
 
#18
jtroska said:
Any musicians out there in the 40-ish age bracket that are into newer Pop music? Train, Adele, Pink, Fun., Neon Trees, Black Keys... Etc.?
Click to expand...

Oh yeah. I'm with you big time. I'm 43 and my last ad stated specifically, no classic rock, metal or thrash. I love all those kinds of music but I'm totally burnt out on playing that stuff. Ended up in a pretty cool original project called Dime Store Zombies.
 
#19
I'm 40 and my musical taste is all over the board, new, old, everything in between.

I'm not into the pop scene but I enjoy classic rock, country, hard rock, metal, etc. My bandmates and I are in a weird paradox - we like many of the old artists but the feeling is shared - we don't care to play the same tired songs. Personally I'm in a 'rediscovery' of certain bands by listening to each and every one of their songs, not just the radio stuff. However...being in a cover band I could see how playing underground songs won't get you very far.
 

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